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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: bank · branch · bulb · mate · pop · kick · mouse · prune

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — soda
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — a division
  24. bank — of a river

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