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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — there
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a match
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. board — a committee

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