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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: track · rush · branch · bay · ball · bulb · bark · capital

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. track — a song
  6. capital — money
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — a division
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a path
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

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