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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the instrument

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