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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: band · track · craft · ground · bowl · press · branch · season

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — the earth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — to push
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — a position
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — a skill
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — to keep track

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