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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — a match

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