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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — there
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — a position
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. shower — rain
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — music

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