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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: roll · fan · net · vault · branch · rash · bulb · tube

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — a series
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. rash — hasty

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