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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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bass — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bass — low music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bore — to tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bore — gave birth

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