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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · branch · roll · rule · pitch · lie · bowl · chest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chest — a box
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — completely
  11. roll — a list
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — government
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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