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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spell — magic
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — to bear
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a ring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. deal — a big deal

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