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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. swing — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — for catching
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. band — a ring
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a music group
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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