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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — for betting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — to handle

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