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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: staff · land · temple · fork · game · mouse · bank · bass

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fork — in a road
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. game — a match
  20. land — ground
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the fish

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