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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — to rob
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. content — the amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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