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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cue — for pool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of law
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — for sport

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