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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — a gift
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — the time now
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — there
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. club — a group
  18. ground — a position
  19. charge — a price
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — in football
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — a thrill

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