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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: fan · stick · can · board · bass · mug · stand · branch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — to get on
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mug — a face
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  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