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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 116 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: squash · branch · bass · chair · pop · ball · rock · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — a leader
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bass — the fish

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