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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: toast · band · scale · spring · pass · branch · date · race

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. race — humankind
  12. date — the fruit
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. spring — the season
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spring — a coil
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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