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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: bear · pop · branch · pitcher · mine · staff · mark · rock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a trace
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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