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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: can · band · coach · land · bass · branch · wake · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. land — a country
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — to be able to
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. band — a music group
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — low music
  24. land — to come down

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