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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stock — goods
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. deal — to handle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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