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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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