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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: suit · bay · mug · board · branch · season · rush · land

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — hurry
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — to get on
  24. mug — a face

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