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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 116 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — to shout
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — a weight

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