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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: file · branch · ball · club · shower · bear · staff · foot

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — a group
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a dance
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. shower — to wash
  20. foot — a measure
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ball — a great time

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