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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. game — wild animals
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. deal — to handle
  13. toast — bread
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — to move gently

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