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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. deal — to handle
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. land — a country
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — gave birth

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