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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: season · band · branch · track · bank · mate · stand · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — a song
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a music group
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — to bear
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a rubber band

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