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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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Word bank
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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: bulb · rash · fine · stick · deal · pit · saw · clip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — a series
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. clip — to cut
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. clip — a video
  24. bulb — for light

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