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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: march · club · dip · kick · bass · staff · fine · branch

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — low music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to sink
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. march — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — all right
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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