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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mate — a partner
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. object — a thing
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — to eat
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a music group
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. band — a ring

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