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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — ground
  8. pop — to visit
  9. land — a country
  10. club — a group
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. can — to be able to
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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