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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. deal — to handle
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — the cause
  10. toast — bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bat — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. squash — to crush
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — decided

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