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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 116 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a line
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. row — to paddle

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