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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: field · rash · bulb · key · branch · stand · face · club

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. key — for a lock
  8. field — a subject
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. rash — a series
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rash — hasty

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