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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a friend
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — farmland
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a partner

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