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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: march · bound · rash · sharp · bulb · bowl · branch · object

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — an aim
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — a series
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — music

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