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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. season — in sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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