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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. deal — to handle
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — a list
  19. court — of law
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. straw — dry grass

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