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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 · bulb · object · last · root · game · mouse · bound

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. last — final
  3. bound — obliged
  4. object — an aim
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — to go on
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — certain
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. game — a match
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. game — wild animals

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