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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — goods
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — to handle
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — there

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