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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bark — to shout
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — a grade
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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