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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: band · pass · cabinet · bulb · bowl · track · wound · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a ring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — a dish

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