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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: rock · rush · cap · branch · stand · rash · bass · pop

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rash — a series
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — a division
  22. pop — soda
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — to move gently

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