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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: club · bulb · rash · leaves · branch · bat · bound · net

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — a series
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. club — a group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for golf
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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