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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 120 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: deal · capital · branch · stand · firm · pop · perch · bulb

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — steady
  10. capital — money
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — soda
  24. deal — to handle

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