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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — of the year
  13. bass — low music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — magic
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — a short time
  24. season — in sport

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