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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. game — a match
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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