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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rule — a law
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pop — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — a position
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — completely
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ground — the earth

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