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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. race — humankind
  10. rash — hasty
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. root — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. race — a contest
  17. rule — government
  18. root — the cause
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — a series
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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