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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a match
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. field — a subject
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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