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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 116 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: bark · ground · cell · swing · kick · object · mark · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. cell — a phone
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. object — a thing
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. swing — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  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