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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — in cards
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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