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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: wake · object · deal · wound · drill · bowl · firm · track

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. track — a song
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. firm — decided
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. firm — steady
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. object — a thing
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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