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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — a contest
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — to protest
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. race — the arms race
  11. object — a thing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — in sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — humankind
  20. key — the most important part
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. object — an aim

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