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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. mate — a friend
  8. roll — a list
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — to breed
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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