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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. squash — the sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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