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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ruler — a monarch

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