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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: branch · pass · bark · race · wake · roll · jam · bank

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pass — a permit
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. race — a contest
  18. branch — a division
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — humankind
  24. bank — for money

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