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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: bear · bark · branch · bowl · bound · scale · bank · chip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — certain
  9. branch — a division
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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