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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: race · jam · bulb · wave · branch · mouse · fine · pitch

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — humankind
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. branch — a division
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. race — the arms race
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitch — completely

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