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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — help
  24. mine — belonging to me

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