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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — a coil
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — completely
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. perch — for a bird

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