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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — to get on
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a committee
  10. bore — to drill
  11. field — a subject
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — size or range
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — to sink

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