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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — electric
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — a match
  12. fall — the season
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a path
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — an agreement

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