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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. branch — a division
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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