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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. content — happy
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. pop — music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. content — the amount
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. land — a country
  14. mug — a face
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — a friend

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