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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. swing — in golf
  6. object — to protest
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. object — a thing
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chip — for betting

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