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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. craft — boats
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — of water
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — happening now
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — a stick
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. craft — a skill

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