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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. charge — a price
  4. object — to protest
  5. cap — of ice
  6. object — a thing
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — for catching

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