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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: mouse · deal · present · clip · branch · game · bay · racket

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. game — a match
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. clip — to cut
  19. game — wild animals
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. game — a kind of play

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