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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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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — for pool
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a match
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fine — all right
  15. season — of the year
  16. staff — a stick
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a signal

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