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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: jam · game · date · fan · scale · bank · lie · branch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. game — a match
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. game — wild animals
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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