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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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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: bulb · drill · roll · racket · branch · dip · wound · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — for light
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — a list
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — a cake
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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