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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: track · branch · stand · sharp · band · bass · tube · dip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. track — a path
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — a container
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. band — a music group
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — low music
  24. track — to keep track

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