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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — a list
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. deal — to handle
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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