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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spell — letters
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chest — a box
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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