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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: trunk · branch · ball · track · bulb · bowl · band · rash

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. bowl — a dish

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