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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — army training

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