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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 120 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 · bulb · race · can · mug · firm · snap · field

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. race — the arms race
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — humankind
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — steady
  18. mug — a face
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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