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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. cold — an illness
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — not warm
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — to tire

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