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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — soda
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. land — ground
  14. season — of the year
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. suit — in cards
  19. season — in sport
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — a big deal

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