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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: tube · last · capital · branch · bulb · band · fine · bowl

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. capital — money

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