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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: date · pass · staff · branch · field · foot · firm · dip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — to sink
  7. date — the fruit
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — for sport
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. field — a subject

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