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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — to handle
  16. branch — a division
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mine — an explosive

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