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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: bulb · roll · branch · spring · stick · key · coach · march

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. roll — a list
  11. march — music
  12. spring — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. key — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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