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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — the amount
  9. pound — a weight
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. content — happy

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