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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. last — final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a signal
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — a line
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — a loud noise

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