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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a hole
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to sink
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — in a computer

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