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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — army training
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. bowl — a dish

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