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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: bass · branch · march · track · tube · land · bank · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — a division
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — a container
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — the underground
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. march — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

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