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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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 — to handle
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — the amount
  5. root — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — size or range
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — the cause
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — happy
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. root — of a word
  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