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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mug — a cup
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — a line
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — to bear
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pop — music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — soda

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