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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rest — a break
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — what's left

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