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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — to crush
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — to succeed

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