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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. field — a subject
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — farmland
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — for sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — in football
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a great time

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