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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: band · dip · staff · object · court · field · foot · branch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — a thing
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. staff — a stick
  14. court — for sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. object — an aim
  21. field — farmland
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — a subject

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