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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: branch · rock · bass · track · board · club · tube · saw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — a group
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the fish
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a song
  22. board — to get on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — the instrument

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