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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — a hint
  12. net — after costs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — electric
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — happening now

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