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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. land — to come down
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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