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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. season — in sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — high quality

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