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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — electric
  12. field — farmland
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — a subject
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to click

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