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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — all right
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — completely
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ground — crushed
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — a position
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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