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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: mark · bass · march · safe · land · cue · branch · racket

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — a signal

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