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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 120 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. land — ground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — a hat
  24. land — to come down

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