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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: bear · branch · coach · march · bass · roll · bore · spring

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — to drill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to tire
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — of water

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