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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spring — of water
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. key — for a lock
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — after costs
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — in football
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. net — in sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fork — to eat with

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