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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 124 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. craft — boats
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — to crush
  13. land — ground
  14. band — a music group
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. squash — the sport
  18. land — a country
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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