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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · staff · ball · land · suit · branch · pitcher · leaves

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a great time
  7. branch — a division
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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