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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 120 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: firm · mark · tube · cell · ground · stick · club · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — a group
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. firm — a company
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — a container
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ground — a position
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ground — the earth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for golf
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tube — in a tire

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