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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. shower — rain
  15. pit — a hole
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — to sink

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