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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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468
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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ground — crushed
  10. kick — in football
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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