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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — a practice
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — a hole

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