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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — an aim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — a division
  22. club — a group
  23. object — to protest
  24. club — for golf

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