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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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — a container
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a face
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mate — a partner

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