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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — the month
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — to crush
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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