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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
468
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: band · chip · fall · bass · perch · branch · safe · pop

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — the fish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — the season
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a music group
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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