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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hand — in cards
  6. court — for sport
  7. hand — help
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. scale — size or range
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — part of the body

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