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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. row — a line
  19. can — to be able to
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — of a king
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — for sport

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