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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. row — a line
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — to shout
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — bread
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — to handle

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