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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: branch · bat · bass · ball · board · cue · wake · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — for pool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. board — to get on
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — a committee
  24. mate — a friend

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