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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 120 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: game · root · bulb · land · current · calf · bound · branch

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — to come down
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. bound — certain
  11. game — a match
  12. root — of a plant
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — a country

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