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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — letters
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — a container

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