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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. game — wild animals
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — to crush
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — a kind of play

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