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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: band · bulb · track · staff · suit · wind · ground · branch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ground — the earth
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ground — crushed
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. band — a music group
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — a song
  23. suit — to fit
  24. track — to keep track

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