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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rash — a series
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. snap — to click
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. hand — help
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. nail — for a hammer

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