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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 116 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: pit · bulb · net · race · root · club · capital · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a city
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. race — humankind
  9. club — for golf
  10. race — a contest
  11. club — a group
  12. net — in sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — for catching
  21. root — of a word
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for dancing

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