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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · bulb · mug · ball · band · object · season · field

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a great time
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — a subject
  13. band — a ring
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — farmland
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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