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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. board — to get on
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hand — help
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — to handle

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