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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: ground · straw · bulb · rule · net · perch · branch · mug

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — a law
  9. branch — a division
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — government

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