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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. deal — to handle
  11. firm — steady
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — temperature
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — from a university

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