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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — steady
  11. cue — for pool
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — to go away

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