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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 120 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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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: march · cap · bank · pound · branch · firm · fork · stick

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — for money
  4. firm — decided
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — of a river
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — a company
  24. pound — for dogs

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