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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — of the year
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — there
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. deal — to handle
  12. board — to get on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — after costs
  17. board — a committee
  18. present — a gift
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — in sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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