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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. branch — a division
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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