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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a lid
  4. race — a contest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — of water
  11. cap — of ice
  12. race — humankind
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. current — electric
  16. race — the arms race
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. saw — the tool

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