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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 · branch · key · bat · bulb · wave · object

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — farmland
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. field — a subject
  16. object — an aim
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. object — a thing
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — a series
  21. field — for sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bat — for baseball

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