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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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. chip — in a computer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — to handle
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — a position
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fine — all right
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — a penalty

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