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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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