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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a ring
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — a stick
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stand — for spectators

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