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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 116 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: ruler · cap · chair · band · fall · track · board · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fall — to drop
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — a path
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a committee
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a ring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chair — to sit on

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