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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — rain
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kick — in football
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — a match
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hand — help
  20. ground — the earth
  21. root — of a word
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — a big deal

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