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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 120 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: leaves · scale · stand · march · band · tube · branch · nail

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a ring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — a division

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