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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — a group

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