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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. march — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — a division
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. calf — a young animal

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