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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bark — to shout
  6. snap — to click
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — of a tree

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