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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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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: cap · scale · lean · stem · tube · branch · bulb · club

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — in music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — for golf
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. club — a group
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. branch — a division
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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