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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — from a university
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bore — to tire
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bore — to drill
  15. court — of law
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. object — an aim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. degree — temperature
  22. vault — a safe
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — a leader

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