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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: drill · branch · row · cue · date · arm · race · bank

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — a practice
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — a contest
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. branch — a division
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a tree

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