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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: bowl · ball · face · pit · toast · bear · deal · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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. ball — a great time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — bread
  15. pit — in a race
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. face — to point toward
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bowl — to roll

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