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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. squash — the sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — for dancing

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