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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 120 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: tear · can · foot · mouse · branch · bank · pitch · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — of a river
  8. race — humankind
  9. pitch — completely
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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