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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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 — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — a big deal
  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