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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: bulb · content · plane · court · net · rush · rule · branch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — happy
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — a tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — a law
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — for sport
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — after costs
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rush — hurry

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