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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: date · ground · branch · jam · race · bank · mine · chair

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — a leader
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — a contest
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ground — a position
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bank — for money

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