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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. row — a line
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — temperature

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