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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 · racket · track · firm · land · stand · fan · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — ground
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a path
  12. firm — a company
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. land — a country
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — to come down
  20. firm — decided
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — a supporter

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