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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. present — a gift
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — rain
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. present — the time now
  22. suit — to fit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — happening now

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