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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: mine · temple · bulb · kick · branch · pound · scale · stand

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — a division
  22. kick — in football
  23. scale — in music
  24. branch — of a bank

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