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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. deal — to handle
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — music
  14. land — ground
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — a series

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