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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 · bass · pop · club · cap · season · rush · content

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. content — happy
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. pop — to visit
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cap — a hat

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