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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. suit — in cards
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a match
  9. branch — a division
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — for digging
  12. band — a music group
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes

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