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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. deal — to handle
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. capital — a city
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — money

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