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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — to handle
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — a song
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a line
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. row — a quarrel

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