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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: stand · bass · chair · coach · rule · mine · drill · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. bass — low music
  16. rule — government
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — army training
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chair — a professorship

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