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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — to paddle
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — humankind
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — an aim
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — the arms race
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. race — a contest
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. charge — in control
  23. object — a thing
  24. row — a line

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