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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. suit — clothes
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ground — a position
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rush — a thrill

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