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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bound — certain
  4. rash — a series
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — a short time
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — hasty

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