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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. march — the month
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — the cause
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. branch — a division
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — to get on

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