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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. band — a music group
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bore — to drill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. court — of law
  17. band — a ring
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a path

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