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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rash — a series
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — for golf
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — magic
  18. roll — a cake
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — a list
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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