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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 · band · firm · stand · wound · track · race · suit

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. track — a song
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. race — the arms race
  14. suit — clothes
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — of a bank

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