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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — bread
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — music
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. band — a music group
  18. swing — to play on
  19. band — a ring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — a face

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