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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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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: leaves · bulb · pitch · tube · bore · content · branch · shower

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — to tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. shower — to wash
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — the amount

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