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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. present — the time now
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — a company
  9. march — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — rain
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — to go on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. present — there
  21. last — final
  22. pit — in a race
  23. last — finally
  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