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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fine — all right
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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