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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the fish
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cold — not warm
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. cold — an illness

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