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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — in music
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — a committee
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mug — a cup

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