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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of a king
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rock — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — for sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — a committee
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. safe — out of danger

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