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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — an agreement

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