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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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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: pound · branch · staff · swing · club · wax · firm · rule

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — a company
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — a group
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rule — a law
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — to rule out

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