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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: squash · leaves · branch · pop · club · firm · land · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — ground
  9. club — a group
  10. pop — soda
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — a company
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — for dancing
  21. land — a country
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. branch — of a tree

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