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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: dip · degree · saw · pound · board · foot · bank · branch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — a committee
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. degree — an amount
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — of a bank

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