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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — for golf
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — a 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