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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — ground

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