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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: bass · rash · trunk · file · track · branch · club · lean

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. track — a song
  3. file — a document
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — a group
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to bend

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