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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 · roll · rock · field · jam · cue · staff · net

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — a cake
  4. branch — a division
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. cue — a hint
  12. roll — a list
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. staff — a stick
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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