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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — happening now
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a committee
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ground — the earth

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