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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: branch · pound · march · pop · wax · fine · snap · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — a division
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pound — for dogs

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