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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: date · bulb · snap · pop · current · march · branch · calf

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. date — the fruit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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