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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — a path
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a song
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bowl — a dish

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