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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — a match
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — a thing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chest — a box
  21. game — wild animals
  22. deal — to handle
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — 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