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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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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: branch · file · march · bank · pitcher · bass · cue · leaves

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. file — a document
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a tool

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