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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: staff · deal · wake · ball · mug · pop · scale · branch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — to handle
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pop — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a face
  24. ball — a great time

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