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

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. drill — army training
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — the tool
  7. game — a match
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. hand — help
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — an amount
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. game — wild animals

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