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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. object — to protest
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — an aim

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