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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: bulb · row · content · suit · key · branch · bay · pitcher

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — happy
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — a line
  14. content — the amount
  15. suit — in cards
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — in music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — to fit

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