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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. game — a match
  24. bat — the animal

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