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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — boats
  22. mark — a grade
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — for a hammer

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