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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — a division
  3. squash — to crush
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hand — help
  7. field — for sport
  8. track — a path
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a cake
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — to be able to
  22. roll — a list
  23. field — farmland
  24. track — to keep track

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