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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — a match
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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