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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: mark · wax · pit · fine · branch · bulb · last · game

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — to go on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a match
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. fine — all right
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — a hole
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — 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