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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 120 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: track · bulb · safe · bass · trunk · club · branch · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the fish
  15. track — a song
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a path

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