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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. present — there
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — a division
  9. field — for sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. field — a subject
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. present — the time now

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