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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. plane — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of law
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — to keep track

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