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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — all right
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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