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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 · branch · cabinet · foot · chair · swing · sharp · toast

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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