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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. land — a country
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — to rip
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of a king
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. club — for dancing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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