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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. firm — decided
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — in cards
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — steady

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