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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. present — there
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — the time now
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. chair — a leader
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chair — to sit 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