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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. deal — to handle
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. club — a group
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. current — electric
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — temperature
  19. club — for golf
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. degree — an amount

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