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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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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: race · wax · band · staff · branch · pop · deal · club

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — to grow
  12. deal — to handle
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. race — a contest
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — for golf

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