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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: deal · toast · fine · date · cabinet · clip · squash · branch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — the fruit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — a division
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. deal — to handle

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