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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: stick · date · deal · bay · branch · rest · field · charge

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — a break
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — farmland
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. field — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — in control
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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