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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: present · cabinet · tube · bulb · board · roll · race · branch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — a list
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — a contest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. present — there
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — to get on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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