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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stock — goods
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — to handle
  11. key — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. key — for a lock
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — for betting

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