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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. current — of water
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — the time now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — size or range
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — in a road
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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