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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kick — in football
  13. file — a document
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. firm — a company
  16. board — a committee
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — a leader

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