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

Word bank: foot · deal · bay · stem · pop · ground · temple · pit

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — a measure
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — to visit

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