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

Word bank: branch · tube · deal · racket · bear · chair · chest · bay

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chest — a box
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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