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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: wake · chip · bank · track · wound · foot · firm · branch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. track — a song
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — to eat
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a path
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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