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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · deal · mark · fine · root · straw

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. root — the cause
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — a trace
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mark — a grade
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. root — of a word
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kid — child
  18. straw — a straw man

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