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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — the earth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — a division
  14. last — final
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — a position
  23. pit — a hole
  24. deal — a big deal

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