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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — goods
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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