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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: can · staff · bass · branch · face · pitch · mouse · arm

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. branch — a division
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitch — completely
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mouse — for a computer

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