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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mark — a grade
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — after costs
  16. mate — a partner
  17. date — the fruit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — for catching

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