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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: cap · mark · branch · coach · bulb · roll · fall · drill

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — a list
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. roll — a cake

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