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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pop — music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chip — in a computer

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