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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — in cards

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