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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: deal · cap · fine · jam · chip · land · spell · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. deal — to handle
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — to eat
  21. land — a country
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. branch — a division

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