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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 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. club — a group
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — a line

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