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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 124 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — for catching
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — after costs
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — for sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — in cards

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