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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stock — goods
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — in cards
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hand — help
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — of a plant

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