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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — help
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — a series
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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