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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — a face

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