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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — letters
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spell — a short time
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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