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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — a division
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — a trail
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — to bear

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