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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. vault — a safe
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a list
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — a measure
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stock — a soup base

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