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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ground — a position
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stock — shares
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pop — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — to eat

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