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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: branch · jam · band · perch · field · deal · sharp · bulb

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. field — a subject
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a ring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. field — for sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a rubber band

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