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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — on the skin

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