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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spring — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — for golf
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spring — of water
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — a quarrel

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