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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: branch · cell · suit · board · mouse · object · pop · bulb

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — in cards
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — to fit
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. branch — a division
  17. pop — soda
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — for light

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