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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — help
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. board — a committee
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — of a plant

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