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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 116 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: mine · fine · fan · staff · game · band · cap · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a hat
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. game — a match
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — a division
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. band — a music group

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