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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: safe · bank · stick · row · bass · branch · land · chip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — low music
  16. land — ground
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a line
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — a country
  24. chip — for betting

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