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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: rest · branch · date · foot · bear · pit · bowl · bank

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bank — for money
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — in a race

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