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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — after costs
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — for catching
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. land — to come down
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — the earth
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. racket — for tennis

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