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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. net — after costs
  3. pit — in a race
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — to grow
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — to tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — in sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — for catching

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