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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — goods
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. deal — to handle
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — help
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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