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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 116 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: march · trunk · sharp · rock · mouse · branch · pop · bulb

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pop — music
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — soda
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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