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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a friend
  15. present — the time now
  16. date — the fruit
  17. present — a gift
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — there

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