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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. suit — in cards
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. snap — to click
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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