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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — help
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — in football
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. deal — an agreement

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