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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — in music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — size or range
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — a company
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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