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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mine — for digging
  12. row — a line
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — to paddle
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bank — for money

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