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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — for golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — a sick person

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