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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: bark · branch · capital · rock · firm · bank · bulb · game

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — a company
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — a city

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