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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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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: roll · capital · saw · dip · band · branch · craft · club

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. band — a music group
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — a group
  18. roll — a cake
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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