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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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