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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cold — an illness
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a committee
  5. mate — a friend
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — to handle
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cold — not warm
  24. sharp — clever

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