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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · chip · degree · branch · bank · track

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature

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