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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — an agreement

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