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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: deal · sharp · saw · season · pop · can · roll · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. roll — a cake
  3. deal — to handle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. roll — a list
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. season — of the year
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. season — in sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — soda

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