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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. field — farmland
  12. degree — an amount
  13. field — for sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — temperature
  19. field — a subject
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. bank — for money

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