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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: bass · content · branch · rest · pit · wave · bulb · prune

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. branch — a division
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wave — of the sea

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