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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — for golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chest — of your body
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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