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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ground — a position
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ground — crushed
  24. patient — a sick person

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