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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — all right
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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