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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mate — to breed
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — a trace
  5. band — a music group
  6. key — in music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — a partner
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a ring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bore — to drill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — for tennis

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