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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — low music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. root — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — the amount
  16. root — the cause
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. content — happy
  20. chip — to eat
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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