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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — to tease
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cell — a phone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — a city
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cell — in biology

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