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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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