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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · scale · object · arm · bulb · cell · board · branch

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — to get on
  9. cell — a phone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. object — to protest
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — for weighing

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