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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bank — for money
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — to trim
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — the underground
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. tube — a container
  13. toast — bread
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. band — a music group
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — a sports field

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