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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — crushed
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — the earth
  9. firm — decided
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — a cake
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cap — a lid
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. roll — a list

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