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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — clothes
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. row — a line
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a quarrel

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