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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — to recline
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — to handle
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — shares
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bass — low music
  20. capital — a city
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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