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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — soda
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — magic
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — letters
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — steady
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pop — to visit

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