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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: pit · row · branch · plane · pound · key · bear · staff

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — in a race
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — employees

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