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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. scale — in music
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — to handle

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