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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — money
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ball — a dance
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — a safe
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a city
  24. deal — to handle

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