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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — a subject
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — a group
  7. last — finally
  8. club — for dancing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. field — for sport
  15. last — final
  16. firm — decided
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — a division
  22. field — farmland
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — a big deal

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