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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. 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. fork — to eat with
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — after costs
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. 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