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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: branch · perch · stem · chair · cue · band · file · suit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. perch — the fish
  11. band — a music group
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. file — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — a hint

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