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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — a hint
  14. season — in sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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