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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · hide · branch · chest · rock · mug · content · bass

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the fish
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bass — low music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — a division
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — a cup
  23. content — happy
  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