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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — after costs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — a permit
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — for catching
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — finally
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — a grade

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