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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: squash · calf · pop · bulb · fall · branch · club · land

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pop — to visit

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