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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — help
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sports field

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