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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ground — a position
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ground — crushed
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — to bear
  18. branch — a division
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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