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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rock — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. swing — to play on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rock — to move gently

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