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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — a division
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. swing — music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — to handle
  24. clip — to cut

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