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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: bulb · wake · cue · ground · rock · net · ruler · branch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a hint
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — before a funeral

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