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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — a path
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — for sport
  18. charge — a price
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — hurry
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — a song
  24. field — a subject

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