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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bank — for money
  4. press — to push
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. track — to keep track
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — a path

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