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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — a committee
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — in biology

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