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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. club — for dancing
  8. file — a document
  9. season — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. club — a group
  12. present — the time now
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — a gift
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — there
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a signal
  21. file — a tool
  22. hand — help
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — for pool

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