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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — electric
  5. present — there
  6. can — to be able to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — of water
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — happening now
  24. swing — to play on

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