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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: band · board · kid · branch · arm · net · suit · rush

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — in cards
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. net — after costs
  18. band — a music group
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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