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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: branch · scale · wind · fork · chest · bear · bank · racket

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chest — a box
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — for tennis

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