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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a line
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — all right
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — to paddle
  24. branch — of a bank

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