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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: rest · branch · drill · fine · bank · mark · capital · bulb

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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