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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: fork · mate · deal · squash · bulb · ball · cap · bound

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — to breed
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fork — in a road

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