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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — a group
  3. spring — a coil
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — for golf
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spring — of water
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — the season
  16. bass — low music
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mark — to pay attention

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