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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · can · date · cabinet · pop · land · branch · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. date — the fruit
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — to cut
  9. land — ground
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — a division
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — music
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pop — soda
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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