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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a path
  5. clip — a video
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — clothes
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — to cut
  17. suit — in cards
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. scale — size or range
  21. track — a song
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. season — of the year

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