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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — a law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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