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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of law
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. can — to be able to

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