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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — tied together
  4. key — for a lock
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — of a river
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. key — in music
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — obliged

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