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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: ruler · jam · squash · tube · track · board · march · branch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — a song
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tube — the underground
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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