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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 · mate · branch · chip · season · saw · vault · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mate — a friend
  10. track — to keep track
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chip — to eat

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