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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — the earth

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