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

Word bank: content · mate · rest · leaves · deal · bat · kid · bowl

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a friend
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. content — happy
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — to go away

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