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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rash — a series
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — hasty
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — to play on
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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