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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cell — in biology
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — to protest
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — an aim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — a phone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kid — child
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. saw — the tool

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