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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · mine · deal · land · bowl · branch · craft · content

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mine — for digging
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. craft — boats
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — happy

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