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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — a match
  5. object — an aim
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — the cause
  22. file — a document
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. file — a line of people

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