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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — low music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — the fish
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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