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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — an explosive

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