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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  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