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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — electric
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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