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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. root — the cause
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. root — of a word
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a plant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — to play on

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