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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — for sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — farmland
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — a subject
  24. club — a group

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