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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: ball · bulb · rash · mug · pass · branch · snap · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. branch — a division
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a face
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — soda
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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