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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — in music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. object — an aim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wind — moving air
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. drill — a practice
  17. file — a tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. object — to protest
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — an agreement

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