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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — the season
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. deal — to handle

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