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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — help
  8. object — a thing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. object — an aim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mate — a friend
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — in cards
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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