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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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 — to handle
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — goods
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — an injury
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  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