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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — there
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — completely

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