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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kid — child
  14. toast — bread
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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