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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — a path
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — to get on
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — in cards
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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