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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 · ruler · stock · season · bear · pound · pitcher · branch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — of the year
  15. stock — shares
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pound — for dogs

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