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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — to protest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — soda
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — a hole
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. object — a thing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — an aim

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