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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — soda
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pop — music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. hand — help
  22. stock — shares
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — clothes

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