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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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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: bank · face · branch · bowl · game · present · bound · current

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — a division
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. face — to confront
  9. current — of water
  10. bound — tied together
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — electric
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — of a river
  19. game — a match
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — there
  24. branch — of a tree

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