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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. firm — a company
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — magic
  11. firm — decided
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — steady

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