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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — in sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. season — of the year
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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