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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: branch · band · cabinet · board · staff · pit · squash · fan

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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