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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cell — a phone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — help
  19. ground — the earth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — crushed

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