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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — to crush
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — a trace
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. fork — in a road

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