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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — completely
  4. present — a gift
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — to handle
  13. present — there
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — a law

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