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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — in sport
  7. land — a country
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — after costs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ball — a dance
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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