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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mine — for digging
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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