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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. degree — temperature
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a ring
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. field — a subject
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — for sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fork — in a road
  24. temple — a place of worship

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