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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kid — child
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. key — in music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spell — magic
  18. kid — to tease
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — for dogs

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