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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cap — a hat

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