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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kid — to tease
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — in sport

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