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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — an amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. squash — to crush
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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