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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: cabinet · band · row · net · pass · branch · bay · can

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — after costs
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — a line
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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