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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: deal · firm · tear · fork · last · saw · rock · bowl

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rock — a stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — in a road
  18. firm — decided
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rock — music
  24. deal — to handle

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