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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — to get on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — to handle
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — help

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