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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · branch · rash · clip · degree · pass · board · suit

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — a committee
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — hasty
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — a division
  17. band — a music group
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. clip — to cut
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — for paper

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