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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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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: swing · branch · bulb · roll · cap · bank · stand · racket

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — to play on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — a division
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — in golf

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