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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. net — after costs
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. squash — to crush

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