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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. season — of the year
  10. ground — a position
  11. degree — from a university
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — the earth
  14. season — in sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a skill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. degree — an amount
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — of a river
  24. degree — temperature

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