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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — a short time
  12. court — of law
  13. spell — magic
  14. degree — from a university
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. court — for sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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