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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 124 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — in a road
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — a break
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — an agreement

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