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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. scale — in music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stock — shares
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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