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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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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: cue · bass · march · mine · ground · branch · pitch · bank

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bank — of a river
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — a position
  24. bass — the instrument

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