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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: rule · staff · club · squash · mug · branch · mouse · kid

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — to tease
  4. club — for dancing
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. branch — a division
  9. rule — government
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kid — child
  19. club — for golf
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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