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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — completely
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — a division
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — a face

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