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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: board · scale · can · cell · pound · lean · branch · bank

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. scale — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — to get on
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to bend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lean — thin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cell — a phone
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a committee
  24. pound — a weight

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