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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: mouse · land · spring · date · branch · ground · fine · staff

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — a position
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — crushed
  19. land — a country
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — ground
  22. spring — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — all right

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