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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — to visit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — humankind
  24. branch — a division

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