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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — of a river
  24. safe — out of danger

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