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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: pop · rock · mark · band · fan · fine · season · branch

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. band — a music group
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — all right

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