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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — an injury
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wound — an injury
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — to roll

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