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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. game — wild animals
  7. row — to paddle
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. game — a match
  19. cell — a phone
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bear — the animal

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