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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — a lid
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — wild animals
  18. content — the amount
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — in cards

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