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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: staff · dip · cue · land · branch · mug · mine · ball

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — for pool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mug — a face
  22. mine — for digging
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — a hint

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