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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: plane · branch · bay · staff · ground · last · deal · march

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. march — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — crushed
  11. last — final
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. march — the month
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — a horse colour

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