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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a path
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — finally
  17. cap — a hat
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cue — a hint
  24. track — a song

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