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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — to crush
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — in cards
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the sport
  19. capital — money
  20. hand — help
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a hole

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