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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mate · key · branch · land · bulb · pop · calf · squash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pop — to visit
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — to crush

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