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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a music group
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fork — in a road
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — the tool

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