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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cue — a hint
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — to crush
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — a signal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a match

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