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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — for catching
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — after costs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — a series

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