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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pop — soda
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — money
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — in a race
  20. branch — a division
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cap — a hat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a city

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