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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: stem · deal · branch · chair · mark · rule · ball · staff

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — government
  24. branch — a division

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