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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: net · court · bay · branch · bulb · cue · band · hide

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — for sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — a division
  24. court — of a king

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