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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — a big deal

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