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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pop — soda
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — shares

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