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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — a city
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — music

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