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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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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 · bulb · mouse · calf · ground · bat · cue · jam

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. branch — a division
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cue — a signal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ground — a position
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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