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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. club — a group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. staff — a stick
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — to come down

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