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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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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — a lid
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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