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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — to handle
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. root — the cause
  19. kick — in football
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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