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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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468
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — a friend
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — to breed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. deal — a big deal

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