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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a ring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — shares
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — in control
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — to crush
  19. band — a music group
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — high quality

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