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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 116 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: field · land · mate · branch · vault · pop · mug · bulb

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — a friend
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — a cup
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. mug — a face
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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