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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — a hole
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — in football
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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