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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spell — letters
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. cold — an illness
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — magic
  24. cold — not warm

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