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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. swing — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hand — help
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tube — a container
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — to play on
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — the underground
  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