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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — tied together
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — certain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — help
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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