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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — a tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. court — of a king

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