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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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 signal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. band — a music group
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — boats
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — to handle
  23. net — in sport
  24. band — a rubber band

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