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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: stand · face · ball · spell · staff · game · fine · branch

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — a match
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to point toward

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