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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — for sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — completely
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — a break
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. court — of a king
  23. band — a music group
  24. deal — to handle

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