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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. court — for sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com