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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. branch — a division
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. branch — of a tree

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