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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — all right
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. spell — a short time

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