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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — electric
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — for catching
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. current — happening now
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — in control

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