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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — in control
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — completely
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — a subject
  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