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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. race — a contest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — to push
  12. club — a group
  13. race — humankind
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — to put up with

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