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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — a company
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — in a road
  5. roll — a list
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. toast — bread
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — steady

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