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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bound — certain
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. field — farmland
  12. pop — soda
  13. rest — what's left
  14. field — a subject
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — a break
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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