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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: mouse · game · stand · bank · scale · branch · firm · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — for money
  4. firm — a company
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — of a river
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. branch — a division
  21. scale — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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