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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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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: stick · bat · drill · bulb · deal · cabinet · fall · track

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — a song
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fall — the season
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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