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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: band · date · branch · cell · toast · bass · prune · temple

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a ring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bass — low music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cell — in biology
  14. toast — bread
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. date — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the instrument

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