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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 · bear · march · shower · row · pitcher · bay · bank

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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