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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. content — happy
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — clothes
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — letters
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — to fit

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