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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. club — a group
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cold — not warm
  13. court — of law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. deal — to handle
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — for sport
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rule — government
  24. deal — a big deal

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