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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: row · bore · stick · last · branch · club · mug · band

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. last — finally
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. row — to paddle
  9. branch — a division
  10. club — for golf
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. club — a group
  24. last — final

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