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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a list

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