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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: bulb · cabinet · racket · bark · wax · branch · cap · date

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — a division
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cap — a lid

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