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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 124 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — for pool
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. season — in sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — a jug

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