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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: bank · fork · wave · pop · bat · branch · racket · tear

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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