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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: deal · object · straw · rock · mate · sharp · roll · field

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. field — for sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — a thing
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. roll — a list
  12. field — farmland
  13. object — an aim
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. roll — a cake
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mate — a partner

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