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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — a match
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chair — a leader
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — a face
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — a cup

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