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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — a thing
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — magic
  17. object — to protest
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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