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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — goods
  3. deal — to handle
  4. scale — in music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pit — in a race
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. press — to push
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bore — to tire

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