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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stock — goods
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — shares
  12. file — a tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — to handle
  16. craft — boats
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. file — a document
  24. mark — a trace

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