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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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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: field · rock · tube · branch · rash · rush · track · chair

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — a series
  19. track — a path
  20. field — for sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — to hurry

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