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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: deal · stick · bear · key · board · drill · bat · mate

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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