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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: fan · band · bound · file · stick · branch · coach · track

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a document
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. track — a path
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — a division
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — a supporter
  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