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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rash — a series
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kid — child
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — a sauce
  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