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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — on your feet

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