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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. land — ground
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — to handle
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — goods

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