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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 a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. court — for sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of law
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stem — to come from
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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