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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: ball · track · bass · mine · branch · fine · staff · foot

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bass — low music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — all right
  24. foot — a measure

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