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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · present · branch · fine · rash · cold · fork · deal

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. branch — a division
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rash — a series
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a list
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — there
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — of a tree

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