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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 120 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. deal — to handle
  10. squash — to crush
  11. band — a music group
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bank — of a river

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