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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. game — a match
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rash — a series
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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