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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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468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — moving air
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — army training

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