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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rule — government
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — soda
  13. game — a match
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. drill — a practice

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