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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. root — of a word
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mark — to pay attention

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