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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. press — a publisher
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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