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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: stem · deal · march · bulb · squash · branch · row · net

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — after costs
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — a line
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. branch — of a bank

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