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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 116 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: leaves · pitcher · row · can · nail · ground · rash · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. row — to paddle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ground — the earth
  24. row — a line

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