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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. deal — to handle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — help
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — in music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — the most important part

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