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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — goods
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — a big deal
  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