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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — a line
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a music group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — of a bank

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