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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.

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: tube · branch · rock · spell · land · staff · chip · sharp

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — with an edge

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