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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. hand — help
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — to go on
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — in sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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