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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: bank · branch · race · chip · bear · tear · rash · pitch

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — humankind
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rash — hasty
  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