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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — of water
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — all right
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — a hole
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — the season
  20. game — wild animals
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — a group

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