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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: patient · arm · deal · bay · staff · chair · branch · chip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chip — for betting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. deal — to handle

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