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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: mate · band · row · cell · branch · mark · pound · rush

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a friend
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a music group
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — a line
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cell — in biology
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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