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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ground — crushed

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