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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — a group
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. court — of law
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. club — for golf
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. club — for dancing

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