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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a document
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — a path
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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