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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — soda
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — a city
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — money

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