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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · tube · fan · bear · game · deal · scale · toast

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tube — the underground
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fan — to cool the air

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