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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of a king
  6. land — a country
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stock — goods
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — shares

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