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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · arm · date · deal · tube · mate · row · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — a line
  9. tube — a container
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. date — the fruit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mate — a partner
  20. squash — the sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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