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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 a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — an aim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — a match
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bat — the animal

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