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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: race · pit · net · branch · bank · tube · land · temple

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. race — the arms race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — a division
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — side of the head

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