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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: mouse · rash · bat · branch · coach · drill · bulb · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — a signal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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