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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: board · craft · deal · straw · bear · suit · patient · ball

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — clothes
  8. craft — boats
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a great time
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a handicraft

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