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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a line
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mate — a partner
  6. firm — a company
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — in music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. firm — steady
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a friend

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