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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 · pop · row · date · branch · vault · mine · pass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pop — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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