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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mug — a cup
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a face
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. hide — to keep secret

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