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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — a thing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — in music
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — the animal

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