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

Word bank: cell · bore · mug · deal · branch · firm · jam · chair

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cell — a phone
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. firm — decided
  24. jam — in traffic

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