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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mark — a trace
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — to handle

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