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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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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: foot · stand · ground · bass · vault · rush · branch · bulb

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — crushed
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ground — a position

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