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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 124 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 dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. net — in sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hand — help
  9. deal — to handle
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hand — part of the body

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