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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 120 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: land · staff · branch · ball · spell · plane · stock · field

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — letters
  10. stock — goods
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a great time
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — to come down
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. land — a country
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — a short time

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