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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a lid
  10. race — humankind
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — to get on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — an aim
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. race — a contest
  24. bowl — a dish

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