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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — a position
  8. capital — money
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — music
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — to hurry

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