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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — for sport
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. row — a line
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. field — a subject
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — an agreement

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