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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. branch — a division
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. game — a match
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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