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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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468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — clever

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