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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — of a king
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — certain
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — an agreement

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