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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 · can · net · bank · content · bat · board · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. branch — a division
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — to be able to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — in sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. net — after costs
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — for catching
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  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