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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: lash · pop · ground · club · staff · branch · toast · file

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. file — a document
  9. pop — to visit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — the earth
  13. toast — bread
  14. ground — crushed
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pop — soda
  23. file — a tool
  24. ground — a position

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