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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · content · perch · deal · arm · capital · patient · branch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. branch — a division
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — the amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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