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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: plane · bear · court · mug · field · firm · branch · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — to rob
  7. field — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — steady
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — the animal

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