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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · rush · degree · charge · deal · pop · key · trunk

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — in control
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pop — soda
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. charge — a price
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. key — the most important part
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — hurry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — decided
  18. key — in music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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