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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. field — for sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. field — a subject
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — a big deal

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