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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: cue · branch · lie · rock · band · firm · degree · bulb

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — decided
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — an amount
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. branch — of a bank

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