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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: pitcher · deal · ground · rush · lie · last · kid · season

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — to tease
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — final
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — finally
  24. ground — crushed

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