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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pit — in a race
  8. press — to push
  9. board — to get on
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — a committee
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a flat piece

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