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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — of a river
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to drill
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. court — of law

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