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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. roll — a list
  6. chair — a leader
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. calf — of the leg

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