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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — a series
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chip — for betting

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