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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: branch · rock · deal · staff · spring · cell · stand · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — for dancing
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. staff — a stick
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — a division
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — the season

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