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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a song
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a path
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — to keep track
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — to breed

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