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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: root · branch · net · clip · jam · bear · bulb · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. can — a tin
  2. clip — a video
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — the cause
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. clip — to cut
  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