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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · mouse · scale · spring · bulb · stick · branch · bank

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — a division
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spring — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pound — to hit hard

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