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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: can · deal · stick · tear · court · firm · bowl · branch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. court — of a king
  22. tear — to rip
  23. firm — a company
  24. court — of law

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