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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: rock · bay · deal · drill · date · kick · bat · foot

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — army training
  24. kick — in football

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