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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: cabinet · fork · mouse · can · chest · swing · object · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — to protest

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