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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — decided
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. staff — a stick
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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