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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — for digging
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — completely
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — electricity

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