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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — to eat
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bowl — a dish

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