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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the fish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — farmland
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. field — a subject
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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