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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: rush · club · staff · branch · can · bass · court · cold

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of law
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. staff — a stick
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cold — not warm

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