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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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