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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. club — a group
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — in sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — the earth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. ground — a position

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