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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wake — a trail
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — temperature
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — help
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a match

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