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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: deal · bank · band · wound · rock · field · ruler · branch

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a ring
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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