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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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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: bowl · patient · bulb · branch · sharp · bank · track · staff

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. branch — of a bank

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