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

Word bank: bass · tear · bulb · branch · roll · stock · nail · cue

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — a list
  6. cue — a signal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — a hint
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — a division
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tear — to rip

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