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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. object — a thing
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — a short time

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