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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. scale — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. land — a country
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a dish

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