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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — the amount
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to tire
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — rain
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. content — happy
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. field — farmland
  24. spell — magic

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