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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — a position
  4. file — a tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stand — on your feet

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