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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — in cards
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. hand — help
  9. season — of the year
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. season — in sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. capital — money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — the fish

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